Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-31

and two or three children. Ward
spends his days in his little printing
Office alone, save when yisital by
the warden and the keepers who
now and then look in upon
him. lie has gained twenty pounds
since he entered the prison. His labor
serves as a means of diverting hismind,
and is certainly not severe bui it is
about all he Is physically capable OF
doing. Probably the hardest part OF
his Imprisonment is to rise at the sound
of the whistle, take his place in his
company. and march with the lock-
step in the long. serpentine file Of I'M
happy humanity to the mess-room,
there 10 seat himself with regiment
of other convicts at the narrow tables
and partake of the plain but substantial
food of the prison.
Eve have 10 aristocracy in Sing
SIM" said the warden. This colony
is genuine democracy, and all who are
outside of the hospital must fare alike
and UNDERGO the same discipline"
|. Glow does Ward settle down to his
prison life 2" Mr.. Brush was asked.
go. well. be gets along first-rate,
was the reply. bat lie is inclined to
want little more than our regulations
will supply, and so is McQuade. They
have n sly propensity to get little deli
cacies Ike oranges, for instance, snug
gled in, but generally they both do very
well considering all things. OF course
it takes such men as Ward good while
to get used to it here. and that, sup
pose, is only natural.
While the reporter was standing with
the warden in the yard looking ut the
men fling into the mess-room for din
pcr there was the sound of "swlsh,
swish, swish," on the gravel walk to the
left. 4 long line was just emerging
from the laundry. The leader, with
folded arms and looking stright ahead,
approached Fifth HI the line was
the familiar face of McQuade,
with his right hand resting on
the right shoulder of the convict
in front of him. His face was averted
MS if he was conscious Of recognition.
1t was not n happy expression that he
wore. but troubled look OF reluctant
submission to woful fate. From the
right another line advanced, and third
from the last, with his hand resting on
the shoulder OF an unusually small
man, marched Unger, the murderer,
who sliced his victim up and packed
him in a trunk, while he wrapped his
head in n newspaper aud threw 1t into
the East river. His face was rdddy,
cheerful, and almost hopeful in its ex-
preston. as if his soul was Obliylous of
The fact that he is destined nevermore
to pass, until his life is ended, beyond
the limits of those prison walls. Yet
this man, in spite Of his awful crime,
had begged to be spared from hanging
because Of love for his only daughter.
II seems almost incredible that sach
man conld he stirred by sentiment or
that he should desire aught else but
death. but still he hugs the remnant of
Lis wrctchod life.
a glance into the mess-room reveals
1,1G5convicts bending overtheirplates,
eating their bread and meat or tipping
up their soup. Along the aisles are
ranged the keepers. dressed in blue.
Not sound is heard in all that mass Of
men save the occasional scrapingof the
bottom Of a soup-dish with a pewter
spoon. Now and then 4 hand i raised.
what is that for?" il asked.
That means one whole piece of
bread" is the ply. Then both hands
appear above a Conv;ct's head, with
the two foreiingers crossed. And
what does that mean ?"
That means a half a slice, cor none
is allowed to he wasted and every man
must eat up all Inc receives
The silence is almost death.like while
for twenty minutes the meal advances.
Then the men rise, the companies are
formed in line, the lock-stcp begins,
and swish, swish. swish," ont they
so across the Towering yard, back to
their stations in the workshops.